Berry Bliss Oat Squares

March 31, 2011Angela (Oh She Glows)

by Angela (Oh She Glows) on March 31, 2011

My doctor’s appointment went well yesterday. After doing a physical exam (twisting and bending my back all around and also checking the back bones), the doc thinks that my bones and spinal discs are fine, but it is probably an aggravated sciatic nerve (given the location of the pain). Apparently this is fairly common and will just heal with time. While she can’t be 100% sure without an X-ray, she doesn’t like to do X-rays unless absolutely necessary and given that I am not in a ton of pain, she isn’t overly concerned. Apparently, sciatic nerves can be stubborn healers so if it doesn’t heal within another week or so, I’m going to look into seeing a physical therapist or chiropractor.

She gave me the go ahead for low impact exercise and I can start running when the pain is fully gone. It could be fine in 1 week, it could be 4 weeks, we really don’t know. I drove straight from my appointment to the gym and cranked out a refreshing 30 minutes on the elliptical. Love the elliptical! I left with happy sweat. Nothing like an injury to make you thankful for exercise again!

Breakfast was bright and cheery just like my mood…

I had some Vegan Overnight Oats in the fridge and instead of eating them straight from the bowl or in a parfait, I made a modified version of Kath’s Dough Boy smoothie. You simply add overnight oats (vegan or otherwise) into your smoothie to create a thicker and more doughy smoothie. It sounded like fun to me!

Directions: Blend the above ingredients together and pour smoothie into a bowl. Top with desired ingredients. I added a few tbsp of raw buckwheat, 1/2 berry oat bar, 1 kiwi, and some Dark Chocolate Almond Butter on top.

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Look what finally arrived in the mail on Monday- The long awaited Raw Buckwheat groats. I have been dying to try these since seeing them all over Ashley’s blog.

Many people believe that Buckwheat is a cereal grain, but it is actually a fruit seed related to rhubarb and sorrel making them an option for people sensitive to wheat. The best part is you can eat them RAW without cooking them. I saw Ashley eat them raw on her blog and I kept thinking, ‘Isn’t she going to crack her tooth on one of those things!?’, but they really are softer than they look. Promise!

They have perfect amount of crunch to sprinkle on oatmeal, VOO parfaits, salads, Banana soft serve, etc. The flavour is also much, much better than the toasted buckwheat (kasha) that I tried a few weeks back.

If you are in Canada, check out this amazing E-store called Upaya Naturals. It’s a vegetarian and vegan’s paradise, especially if you live in a small town like me and cannot find specialty products.

I topped the smoothie with buckwheat, 1/2 berry oat bar (below), 1 kiwi, and some Dark Chocolate Almond Butter. I did miss the chewiness of the vegan overnight oats, so next time I’m going to blend 2/3 of the VOO and then stir in the rest to get the best of both worlds.

Good to the last spoonful.

Now about those Berry oat squares!

I have been ogling this recipe on Susan’s blog for a long time now and I finally remembered to make them. They have no refined flour, no white sugar, no added fat, no soy, and can be made gluten-free too. I enjoy them with breakfast crumbled over oats, as an afternoon snack, or a light treat after dinner. So versatile!

The wholesome flavours of the oats, maple, and berries really shine through and aren’t hidden by too much sweetener. They are rustic, yet elegant and simple. I like that. Unfortunately, so does Eric.

And we’re running out!

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Berry Bliss Oat Squares

Vegan, soy-free, refined-sugar free, no added fat, and can be made gluten-free if you use GF oats.

1. Preheat oven to 375F and line a 8inch square pan with two pieces of parchment paper. In a small bowl mix together cornstarch with warm water to form a paste. Make sure all clumps are gone. Set aside.

2. BerryFilling: In a small saucepan, combine the berries, banana, and maple syrup. Bring to a boil and stir well. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and the pre-mixed cornstarch. Whisk until all clumps are gone and set aside.

3. Base: Place 1.5 cups of oats into a food processor and process until a flour/fine powder forms. Add this processed flour, remaining 1.5 cup of oats, baking powder, and salt into large bowl. Stir. Now add in the wet ingredients (applesauce, maple syrup, water, vanilla) and mix well. Pour 2/3 of the batter into the prepared pan and push down firmly with fingers to smooth out. Grab the prepared berry filling and spread over the top of the oat base until smooth. Now crumble the remaining oat base mixture on top.

4. Bake for 30 mins. at 375F or until the top is slightly golden and firm. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting into squares.

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You are probably going to ask me if you can use frozen berries instead of fresh. I’m not sure to be honest. The original recipe didn’t mention anything about using frozen berries. My guess is that frozen berries would produce more water when cooking, so you would probably have to add more cornstarch to thicken it. In my experience, frozen berries tend to be less sweet than fresh, so you might want to add more sweetener too.

The main point is to make sure the berry topping tastes good to YOU before spreading it on top! If it doesn’t taste good, add a bit more sweetener and you will be fine.

It should have a thick jelly-like consistency:

The whole process was very easy!

I really wasn’t expecting much from these squares because they just seemed too good to be true…but I was really blown away!

The only thing I might change next time is trying to replace the cornstarch with chia seeds. For some reason cornstarch doesn’t seem to agree with my stomach too much. I wonder if chia seeds could act in the same thickening manner? It might be worth a shot.

I am really excited to let you know that I received this awesome award from Best Health Magazine in the Eat Well category!

What a wonderful idea for the smoothie from the overnight oats! I’ve been rocking out the overnight oats for several weeks now since I saw them on your blog (and LOVE them). I’ll have to try this and the berry bars out.

My mom eats buckwheat groats everyday for breakfast. I’m not sure what all she puts in them… water, egg, sometimes tops them with flax seeds/chia seeds. She thinks they taste like a warm pretzel. I don’t know how I feel about that description but I’ve tasted them a few times and they’re pretty good. I wouldn’t add the egg of course. I really have a hard time eating anything other than oatmeal for breakfast though. Food rut or food love?

so glad to hear you did not need an xray (i like your doc’s philosophy about that!) and could elliptical! that is progress.
i’ve had sciatic nerve problems (from running!) and DO suggest massage or a visit to a chiropractor – mis-alignment is often an issue with sciatic troubles. and true, too, is that the healing time is so variable! i hope you’re 100% asap!

Hey Angela! Sorry to hear you are having sciatic nerve problems. I think you are totally due for a fabulous massage girl! I am a LMT and sciatic nerve issues really settle down with a few good massages! Treate yourself!! :)

I love Upaya! That’s where I bought my juicer. I’m from Saskatchewan, which might as well be in the middle of nowhere when it comes to buying fun food stuff. Also, I loved the color of your breakfast! It made me happy just looking at it. :) And congrats job on the award!!

Even though it doesn’t look like it out my window, it feels like spring when I look at your blog and for that I thank you! Your pastel plates and fresh berries just bounce off the screen.

I’ve been reading so much about overnight oats and have yet to try them. Do you heat them up, or eat them cold? I’m not sure if I’d enjoy the texture of cold oatmeal, but maybe I should try it before making that call.

CONGRATULATIONS ANGE!!!!! That’s fabulous news about the award! You totally deserve it. All of your photos look great this morning. If I were “testing out” that berry topping, I’m not sure there’d be enough left to cover the squares!

Have you ever tried acupuncture and cupping? I have had great success with Sciatic pain. I am sure there are some great acupuncturists in your area!
By the way I am making your beet carrot salad right now! Yum!

Hi Angela – I tried hot yoga the other day and the instructor had us hold pigeon position for a looooong time – apparantly it is supposed to help release a small gluteal muscle that helps with sciatic nerve pain. Not sure if you have already tried this but thought I would mention it :) Thanks for the great recipes, glad to hear your spine is good ;)
erin

boooya for exercise ! I have been looking all over the place for buckwheat… must prowl the internet I guess ;). Or stalk the Wegman’s shelves. Either way, I have to get my grubby paws on some!
Those bars look soo good. I love the color!

I’ve been cooking with the buckwheat groats for a few weeks now (funny how timing works out) and discovered that they make absolutely delicious, easy, and (the best part) STORABLE porridge! I soak the buckwheats in water overnight- this releases a lot of the nutty flavour, and when you rinse them, they are clean and delicious. They’re good just like this, OR, put them in a pot, add water at approximately a 2:1 ratio, bring to a boil, and then turn down to simmer. If you’ve soaked them first they’ll only take 15 or so minutes to cook. Into my buckwheat porridge, I usually add grannysmith apple, some vanilla extract, cinnamon, sea salt (just a pinch) and almonds. I usually make a BIG pot on Sunday nights, and then separate them into individual servings for the week. In the morning I plop a serving in a small pot, add a big glug of almond milk, some fresh berries, cinnamon and sometimes nutmeg. It will re-constitute into a BEAUTIFUL texture, and the taste is delicious. They have a nutty, rich flavour profile, and keep you full for HOURS. Top with fruit of choice. I bet they’d be great cooked into a porridge casserole, too.

I’ve already printed out this recipe and I’m so excited to try it tonight! I’m really looking forward to having one of these after I finish off your Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Warm Salad for dinner! Yum!

And congrats on your award! You completely deserve it! You and chia seeds have changed my life!!

Congrats on the award. :-) Those berry bars look amazing! Perfect for springtime. Speaking of which, it’ll be 80 degrees F here today. Yikes! It has rained nonstop for a couple weeks here. So much for gradually easing into warmer weather. Time to break out the shorts!

We had snow today too.. ick! Your smoothie looks awesome! My blender broke a few weeks ago mid-green monster and I’ve really been missing my smoothies! I’m considering trying the food processor but I have a feeling it would be pretty chunky. ;-)

So glad that you are able to get your sweat on for a bit!! I was only sick for a couple of days this week and I was so aggravated with not being able to get a great run and just sweat it out. It’s great that you’re able to start moving and shaking now :) Before you know it you’ll be in tip top shape!
And I woke up to the same sprinkling of snow…gotta love Southern Ontario!! :)

I’ve been yearning to bake something different – this is fantastic! Now the problem is this or your date squares!! I have a bag of frozen cranberries in my freezer…I wonder if they’d be too tart for this??

P.S: Is the smoothie thick? I’ve never been into smoothies because I prefer and thick texture.

Thanks for the link to the site! I’m not vegan – but new finds are good. Do you mind if I ask where you live in Canada? I’m in Ontario and not in a small town, but I find it hard to get much here often. (Or it tends to be downtown at specialty stores where I can’t get to often). Don’t answer if you don’t want to !! I understand privacy of course :)

Wow – congratulations on the award! What a fantastic way to beat the snow :-)

I am kind of new to chia seeds and they are my favorite find of this year so far (yeah, I’m a little late to the game)

I think the idea of using them for this recipe would be great for even better nutrition – I just don’t really know how to go about adapting the recipe (quantity and method). Any suggestions you can make?

Thanks! And I agree with those who have mentioned massage for healing – helped me a lot with a similar issue.

Well I would probably try adding chia seeds by the tbsp until the thickened consitency is achieved. You will also have to cook it on low for longer until the chia seeds thicken up and gel up. I hope it works! It might add a fun crunch to the berry filling too.

Growing up my dad was a huge gardener and for about 4 weeks in the summer there was an abundance of raspberries. Nothing all year and then more than we could ever eat all at once. My mom used to make raspberry cobbler type bars that look very reminiscent to these with raspberries. Great memories for me seeing this recipe, as they finished product looks similar but I guarantee my mom used butter and tons of it in her recipe :)

Your back. Well, thank god they have ruled out some really serious things and they are checking you for sciatica which is an awful, nagging, condition. Major hugs, sweetie. If you are open to it, I know many people who have been helped tons by acupuncture and yoga. I hope you find some relief!!

That first picture is rediculously gorgeous Ange! I love the color of the berry filling.

“Nothing like an injury to make you thankful for exercise again!” – I’m recovering from a sprain/ stain in my left pec and am still healing, but have been gradually been able to add more activities in (besides walking) and get SO excited to do things I haven’t been able to do in WEEKS. …like really excited. lol

Glad to hear nothing is seriously wrong with your back… back issues are NO FUN!!! I should post a picture of the hardware in mine for fun… It’s crazy to think that I have metal in my spine.

I had a pinching sensation in my low back a month ago, so I started going to a chiropractor. Even thought my parents don’t believe that it works, it helps me! When I go in for an adjustment, the pinching sensation is automatically relieved.

Congrats on your award! And hope your sciatic nerve heals quickly – they can be stubborn, so hang in there. I just found your blog this week, and you’ve been inspiring me everyday since – I even wrote about it in my second blog post! :)

yummm!!! I love oats of any kind, and they’re healthy too! Glad to hear it went well at the doctors. Those raw buckwheat groats remind me of a great snack at a all natural health grocery store I got once. It was called Pea’s Please, they where great, they’re probably real simple to make, they’re just dried pea’s!!!(so crunchy) Can’t wait to try out the squares!!!

sorry to hear about your back. my older sister has nerve problems with her back, she goes through periods were she is fine, and then it gives her pain. Back problems are one of the worst, because not much you can do. So thinking of you and your back :) haha that sounds funny, but I know it cannot be fun

love buckwheat!! and we noticed a few years ago we reacted corn, so we had to give it up. but arrowroot does pretty good, as I saw others mentioned. we have a ton of arrowroot if you ever need any

Hi Angela!
Just made the bars! They are fantastic!!! Sooo delicious and just the perfect amount of sweet! I had organic raw blue agave nectar, so I split that with the maple syrup, and it came out amazing! :)

I cannot thank you enough for your amazing recipes! I always love them. Although not a vegan, I always feel better about my food choices when cooking one of your recipes! Thanks for making vegan so accessible (and delicious)!

Hi Angela, Congratulations on the Award. I always she Oh She Glows on my blog reader, but it hasn’t updated since March 26th. The other blogs I read seem to be fine. I am wondering if anyone else has expressed concern.

I had a pinched sciatic nerve last year, which made running rather difficult for a while. It’s certainly not a comfortable experience! I did find my physio to be really helpful though, so that might be worth pursuing. He was also able to suggest stretches to help, which might make you feel better about being less able to exercise! I hope it improves quickly for you.

I just made your banana oat bars a couple nights ago, and my boyfriend and I both love them! They are the perfect, not-too-sweet snack for any time of day. Thanks so much for helping introduce more wholesome foods into our lives. :)

These recipes are bright, gorgeous & I bet beyond tasty! So sorry to read that you have sciatic issues. I think everyone at some point gets that. I know it hurts like crazy & affects everything you do. The great news is it does eventually go away. I too kept up with excercise on the elliptical & anything that felt good. xxoo

Those oat squares look delicious! I am happy your injury isn’t to serious! I’m injured right now (my knee) and I haven’t been able to do cardio in like a week and a half! It’s killing me….I want to get my sweat on! Hopefully it will heal up quick :)

Hi Angela, Congratulations for winning, I love your blog… and those look great! About the Cornstarch, I use a japanese substitute (that is actually very good for the stomach and is used in the macrobiotic diet to treat ulcers), it is called KUZU and is made of a plant root, amazing stuff, a bit on the expensive side, but you need less than half the amount of cornstarch to get the same gelling effect… let me know if you like it

I was also going to suggest Kuzu for thickening. I use it all the time. Learned about it from Alecia Silverstone’s book. It is a little expensive, but a little goes a long way. I’m going to try these bars tonight, thanks for sharing!
Congrats on your award and happy healing to your back!

sorry to hear about your sciatic pain. i’m sure you’re getting loads of recommendations, but i have to add mine as well if you don’t mind! i had sciatic pain associated w/ my first pregnancy. i saw two physical therapists over the course of a month who were just giving me strengthening exercises to do that weren’t helping at ALL. the second finally referred me to the clinic supervisor who specializes in strain/counterstrain and after TWO visits i was pain free. it was amazing!!! she never really acknowledged it was ‘sciatica’ but said i had some SI joint issues. it came back when my baby was a little over a year old, and again it only took two visits and i was pain free. good luck–i hope you find some relief!!

Congratulations on Best Blog!!!! I love reading your blog and making your recipes!! As I said before your an inspiration! Keep up the great work!! Oh and keep those stories coming. By the way in 2 minutes my Berry Bliss Bars will be done! Yum! I can’t wait to try them!! Looking forward to putting it in my oatmeal tomorrow morning!

I recently discovered your website and LOVE it! I started a health kick a few weeks ago, and trying out your recipes is making it quite fun. I made these berry bliss bars on the weekend and I also made the walnut bolognese sauce – both were delicious. Can’t wait to try a few more – thanks!

These sound fantastic. I can’t wait to try.You could use arrowroot powder or tapioca flour in place of the cornstarch, I’m not a fan of cornstarch either. I find tapioca flour makes a clear glossy sauce that looks really pretty as well. Thanks for an always interesting blog!!

Hi dear! So I just made these (delish!) and substituted the cornstarch for ground up chia seed + water. I used the same proportions (2 tbsp ground chia and 2 tbsp warm water), then mixed it up and it was super thick. I had to stir the sauce a ton and there were still some chunks in it, so I would suggest just adding the ground up chia seeds and then the water separately into the sauce. They still came out great though!

Great photos, these look so good
I wonder if there’s a way to make a low-carb version, maybe I can just decrease the amount of oats I mix in, to reduce the carb count
I love blueberries and we have tons right now, so I should make these squares soon :-)

Love your site! Just had to put in my 2 cents on sciatic nerve pain. I battled it for over a decade before someone told me to just stretch my hip flexors more. Seriously. It can be that simple. When I’m having sciatic nerve pain I obsessively stretch my hip flexors (like 10 times a day minimum) and it goes away in a day or two. I keep them well stretched (think a few times a day or after long sitting sessions) to avoid flare ups. No major problems for the last few years! Of course getting a massage or two never hurts :)

Just found your site and I love it!! Made the delicious oat bars over the weekend and they were great. I used cranberries and apples for the filling instead because it’s what I had on hand. I will definitely be making these frequently. Thank you again and I can’t wait to try more of your recipes.

I initially was trying to make jam and i think it is a tad grainy for that purpose, so I used it in this recipe instead and I think it worked perfectly. The texture of the oats covers it up completely.

Hey, Bars look amazing! I’m trying to find a breakfast recipe that includes fresh berries and will keep for 4/5 days as I am going away (without a fridge)… Would this recipe keep or do you have any other suggestions? Love the blog!

I made these for fathers day because they looked like something that my whole family could enjoy- i defiantly plan on making them again but i think that i would use raspberries as well as some blueberries, i would like them to be more tart and a little less banana-y, let me know if you have any thoughts on how to get the right consistency well having them be less sweet. i also used half frozen half fresh blueberries and took out the maple syrup from the berries it turned out fine! i really liked them but in general just prefer more sour fruit desserts! thank you so much for the recipe, they really were a delight i would just change a few things and they would be perfect!!!

I made these last night and they are really good! I love how the banana compliments the berry flavor. I also like how they are vegan and refined sugar free. I would add less corn starch next time. Maybe 2 tb water and 1 tb corn starch. Thanks for this recipe!

I just made the oat bars they turned out fantastic! Just a few substitutions: I used blackberries because I only had frozen blueberries, I didn’t have applesauce so I used an extra banana, and I used chia seeds instead of cornstarch. I forgot to add the cinnamon in before I baked so I just sprinkled it on top. Maybe the pan I used was too big but I ran out of the oat mixture ( I couldn’t cover the whole top) so I just sprinkled some raw oats on top and it turned out fine. Pretty hard to mess up the recipe, I will definitely be making these again soon. Thank you!

I made this recipe with a few tweaks. I had a problem with the amount of sugar in this recipe… 1/2 cup of maple syrup has a whopping 107 grams of sugar… 9 grams of sugar per bar, which doesn’t sound like a whole lot, but that’s only from the maple syrup. I wanted these to be less dessert-y and more of a breakfast grab’n’go item so i cut out the maple syrup entirely… still was totally delish. I used frozen mixed berries since they were on sale instead of fresh and it worked great. smearing peanut butter on these creates a snack reminiscent of a pb&j sandwich, delicious sustenance. cutting out the maple syrup and using frozen fruit cut the cost of this recipe down considerably also.

These bars look amazing! As a celiac, gf oats are new to me and I love them any way but oatmeal.(can’t get over the soggy texture) Also, not a fan of bananas. Are they necessary in the oat bars? Is there a sub that you’d recommend?

Also, xanthan gum can work for corn starch sub, but you’d just need 1/4 of measurement

Hey Louisa! I haven’t tried it, but I know a couple people have used frozen berries with success. My guess is that frozen would produce a bit more water when cooking, so you might have to add more cornstarch to thicken it. In my experience, frozen berries tend to be less sweet than fresh, so you might want to add more sweetener too.